Great Western Coffee Shop

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BUSINESS PREMIER: You have full flexibility to change your travel plans. Your ticket is fully refundable and can be exchanged as many times as you want. Our Business Premier lounges are all now open again. The way we serve food and drink has changed and social distancing measures will be in place. Our fast track ticket gates are also open again.

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Our onboard bar buffet is closed until 7 September 2020 and many of the shops and restaurants at our stations are also closed. Please bring refreshments with you, especially when the weather gets warm. You can bring liquids through security.

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Coronavirus and Eurostar services – updated 21 August 2020

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There are 2 a couple of possible reasons for not stopping at Ebbsfleet and Ashford, UK Boarder Force may have redeployed there staff to other duties also the France may have reduced its staff levels added to the fact that passenger levels at both these stations is not high at the best of times.

France will deploy customs officers to patrol Eurostar trains from London to Paris when the UK's Brexit transition ends on 31 December, reports suggest.

With Channel ports already clogged up by lengthy traffic jams, Paris feels compelled to introduce the drastic on-train checks ? because UK and French authorities are yet to agree post-Brexit customs controls.

"There?s a discussion under way between the French and British authorities to allow French customs to have an official presence on British soil at points of embarkation," Olivier Dussopt ? the French customs minister ? told the Financial Times.

French officials are reportedly surprised at the administrative "mess" and lack of preparation on the English side of the Channel, the paper reported.

I'm pretty sure this is standard practice on cross-border trains where there is no suitable border station. The customs and passport authorities of both countries in effect circulate between the two stations nearest the border. The alternative is that, where there's a suitable station near the border (or even if a site gets built specially at the border), formalities are completed while the train is stationary, either with passengers leaving the carriages and passing through a terminal, or with border agents walking through the train. Doing these on-board while the train is in motion obviously avoids delays and so is probably preferable.

From The London Economic (https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/french-officials-to-patrol-eurostar-trains-amid-brexit-customs-chaos/19/12/)


Oh dear ... my understanding is that Eurostar's traffic has been decimated far more than any other TOC already by Coronavirus

I'm pretty sure this is standard practice on cross-border trains where there is no suitable border station. The customs and passport authorities of both countries in effect circulate between the two stations nearest the border. The alternative is that, where there's a suitable station near the border (or even if a site gets built specially at the border), formalities are completed while the train is stationary, either with passengers leaving the carriages and passing through a terminal, or with border agents walking through the train. Doing these on-board while the train is in motion obviously avoids delays and so is probably preferable.

It is but ................. the UK Government has not been very good at dealing with us leaving the EU ................ I am convinced the UK Government holds the belief that the EU would copulate and give us a free trade agreement on our terms.   Now the Dove / Folkestone corner of Kent is going to be in chaos for weeks, even worse if it snows.

When the PM deploys the gun ships to protect the UK fishing waters, the French fishermen will blockage to French ports

Good thing the SE of the UK is in Tier 4  

  

......I wasn't aware that copulation was on the agenda as part of the negotiations, but with Boris around, you never know! 🙂

Precise arrangements may well depend on the relationship between the two countries concerned as well. On board passport checks certainly happened between France and Belgium in the early 1970s (the last time I crossed that border by train), whilst at the same time customs formalities between France and Switzerland were carried out when the trains arrived at Basel.

I never actually travelled the route, but when the line from Western Europe to Istanbul crossed briefly into Greece at Erdine I am told that there were "difficulties" due to the general animosity between Greece and Turkey that has lasted for hundreds of years

 

4.3 The railway connection through the Channel Tunnel

In the absence of a Union contingency measure, the operation of the Channel Fixed Link through the Channel Tunnel would need to be suspended after the end of the transition period. In such a case, trains would not be able to circulate through the Channel Tunnel connecting the United Kingdom with the European continent.

In light of the economic importance to the Union of the Channel Fixed Link, the Commission adopted, on 27 November, a proposal for a Regulation that would ensure that the Channel Fixed Link continues to operate after 1 January 2021, until other arrangements have been put in place.

The operation of the Channel Fixed Link through the Channel Tunnel is supervised by an Intergovernmental Commission (the ?IGC?), established by the Treaty of Canterbury between the French Republic and the United Kingdom signed on 12 February 1986. Until the end of the transition period, the IGC is recognised as a national safety authority entrusted by two Member States with ensuring that Union safety and interoperability rules apply to the whole Channel Tunnel. It issues relevant safety certificates and authorisations.

France has been empowered to negotiate, sign and conclude an international agreement with the United Kingdom in order to maintain a unified safety regime and the IGC. However, an agreement will not have entered into force at the end of the transition period. Without such an agreement, as from 1 January 2021, the IGC no longer qualifies as national safety authority under EU law and the certificates and authorisations it has issued lose their validity.

The proposed Regulation would extend the validity of authorisations issued by the IGC for a period of two months. This would give enough time for the French national safety authority to take over the supervision and issue its own certificates.

In order to ensure connectivity between the Union and the United Kingdom, it is also essential that the rail operators providing services in the Tunnel continue to do so and can reach the border-crossing station of Calais-Fr?thun. To that end, the period of validity of their licenses issued by the United Kingdom and of their safety certificates issued by the Intergovernmental Commission should be extended for a period of nine months. This extension would give enough time for the negotiation and conclusion of the necessary arrangements foreseen in Union law to avoid disruptions.

You may remember from the news that on the 10th December the EU (not just the Commission) issue a statement on contingency measures to prevent everything lurching to a halt on 1st January in the absence of a Brexit agreement. This document (https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/communication-commission-limited-contingency-measures-absence-agreement-future-partnership-united-kingdom) contained a section (in the main statement, not an Annex) on the tunnel (there are others on aviation etc.):

I found that rather odd. I understood that the intergovernmental treaty regulating the tunnel, when signed, didn't depend on the EEC/EU or its laws, but did the usual traditional things about borders. The actual "land" border is at the half-way point, an  inconvenient place to stop trains for immigration and customs formalities. The treaty set up joint institutions to allow such things (not just safety) to be managed jointly. While everything crossing that border will be affected by Brexit, I don't see why the border itself and its treaty would need changing, as opposed to (ideally) having an agreement on top.

Belgium has banned flights & Eurostar services from midnight tonight

I never actually travelled the route, but when the line from Western Europe to Istanbul crossed briefly into Greece at Erdine I am told that there were "difficulties" due to the general animosity between Greece and Turkey that has lasted for hundreds of years.

.......... but I hate to think what state we would be in if without his oven ready deal

Perhaps he misspoke (again?) - it might have only been "shovel ready".... ;)

The transport secretary has poured cold water on hopes that the UK would lead the rescue of the struggling Eurostar rail link.

Speaking to MPs on the Transport Select Committee this morning, Grant Shapps said that the cross-channel service was “not our company to rescue”.

From City a.m. (https://www.cityam.com/eurostar-is-not-our-company-to-rescue-says-grant-shapps/)

The minister is correct. Eurostar is now owned by Eurostar International Ltd.  EIL is owned by SNCF (55%, France), Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) (30%, Canada), Hermes Infrastructure (10%, USA) and NMBS/SNCB (5%, Belgium). The tunnel itself is owned by Getlink. I think the UK has successfully washed its hands of that, too, although so much has changed since the original company was formed that it is hard to tell.

At one level that is correct, but at another level it is also part of UK plc's infrastructure. That's what neither the right wing privatise it all brigade nor the left wing nationalise it all brigade understand. A government has responsibilities that go beyond "is it a state asset?", and owners of infrastructure have to remember that they have responsibilities (often written into legislation, but going beyond this) to the society for whom they are providing the relevant services.

At one level that is correct, but at another level it is also part of UK plc's infrastructure. That's what neither the right wing privatise it all brigade nor the left wing nationalise it all brigade understand. A government has responsibilities that go beyond "is it a state asset?", and owners of infrastructure have to remember that they have responsibilities (often written into legislation, but going beyond this) to the society for whom they are providing the relevant services.

Can I clarify?   The tunnel is owned by Getlink who also operate Le Shuttle through it.  They receive an income from Eurostar who pay to run their passenger trains through.  So a failure of Eurostar would not close the tunnel - just limit it to shuttle trains and freight (Db run this!).  Shuttle trains can take coaches, and another operator could run passenger trains too.

So - if Eurostar fails, someone else can have a go??

So - if Eurostar fails, someone else can have a go??

Slightly unfair on Eurostar: it's unlikely that another operator would do any better in the present circumstances.

Maybe Go-op could come up with a plan?

Maybe - perhaps I was playing Devil's advocate.   But the logical extension is that if it's a commercial operation set up to make a profit, and doesn't, then either someone else could try, or could try something else.  Or perhaps there's no case for such services any more now with the different relationship between the UK and mainland Europe?   Still playing Devil's advocate ...

Let face it with the current government's anti Europe position they are not likely to assist with anything that links us with Europe

There are 2 a couple of possible reasons for not stopping at Ebbsfleet and Ashford, UK Boarder Force may have redeployed there staff to other duties also the France may have reduced its staff levels added to the fact that passenger levels at both these stations is not high at the best of times.

Eurostar services will not call at either Ebbsfleet or Ashford International station during 2023, the cross-channel operator has confirmed.

Both HS1 stations were shut at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, with the company announcing last year that they would not reopen until 2023 at the earliest.

A Eurostar spokesman blamed “an uncertain and fragile environment” for the continued closure, citing COVID-19 and Brexit as heavily influencing the latest decision.

From Rail Magazine (https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/2022/08/25/eurostar-confirms-extended-absence-from-kent-stations)


I wonder if Eurostar will ever call at Ebbsfleet or Ashford again - are Covid and Brexit convenient reasons given for them to give up something that from a business viewpoint had become a bit of an unprofitable nuisance to them?

Eurostar has announced its services may not stop in Kent again until 2025.
The company's trains have not called at Ashford or Ebbsfleet since March 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The operator said it understood this would be disappointing for local communities.
Ashford Borough Council's leader described the decision as a "real challenge" for the community and said he would continue to push for services to be resumed.

Eurostar confirmed services carrying passengers between London St Pancras and Europe via the Channel Tunnel would not stop at the two Kent stations during 2023.

It added it would not be able to "make any commitment for another two to three years".
Eurostar cited financial factors and the post-Brexit border situation, with the EU's entry/exit system due to be in place by the end of May 2023 expected to add "further complexity".
Continues…

From Rail Magazine (https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/2022/08/25/eurostar-confirms-extended-absence-from-kent-stations)


I wonder if Eurostar will ever call at Ebbsfleet or Ashford again - are Covid and Brexit convenient reasons given for them to give up something that from a business viewpoint had become a bit of an unprofitable nuisance to them?

Such are the perils of a fully private operation and the complications of Brexit.

Eurostar has to pay all the security, Border Force etc costs at all 3 UK stations, the UK Government to not provide any finance towards these costs.

Such are the perils of a fully private operation and the complications of Brexit.

So fully private that Eurostar is 55% owned by the French state railway, 30% by the Quebec civil service pension scheme, 5% by the Belgian state railway, and only 10% by an American asset management fund. Sounds 90% foreign public sector to me. Not really sure why we're continuing to allow their trains between Ashford International and London St Pancras really – proposing suspending their trackage rights would certainly be an interesting version of playing hard ball with intransigent Gallic bureaucrats to make them pay for their railway company's obligations. If they only want to pay for one border station, then fine, their trains can terminate at Ashford and stop disrupting what should be a regular clockface timetable on the South Eastern.

Surprised to learn this. Do similar arrangements apply at ferry and air ports?

Yes, the Port Authority pay the cost

So fully private that Eurostar is 55% owned by the French state railway, 30% by the Quebec civil service pension scheme, 5% by the Belgian state railway, and only 10% by an American asset management fund. Sounds 90% foreign public sector to me. Not really sure why we're continuing to allow their trains between Ashford International and London St Pancras really – proposing suspending their trackage rights would certainly be an interesting version of playing hard ball with intransigent Gallic bureaucrats to make them pay for their railway company's obligations. If they only want to pay for one border station, then fine, their trains can terminate at Ashford and stop disrupting what should be a regular clockface timetable on the South Eastern.

If they only want to pay for one border station, then fine, their trains can terminate at Ashford and stop disrupting what should be a regular clockface timetable on the South Eastern.

I wonder if Eurostar will ever call at Ebbsfleet or Ashford again?

Letter from CEO of Eurostar to the Transport Select Committee setting out the difficulties the company is facing and why it cannot reopen Kent services.
https://twitter.com/EurostarJustinp/status/1574711574337495041

The boss of Eurostar has said its trains between the UK and Paris are carrying 30% fewer passengers.

Chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave said with post-Brexit border checks and current levels of border staff, there were "bottlenecks" in stations.

Eurostar is currently running 14 services per day between London and Paris, compared with 18 in 2019.

Ms Cazenave said the company might not restore some services suspended last year due to the problems.

"The thing is now we are not able to run the same transport offer as what we had before in 2019, because of bottlenecks in stations," she said.

"We have a main issue in Eurostar terminals because of the new boarding conditions between the UK and EU, because of the impact of Covid, because of staff in the stations."